For many African countries to achieve some level of local manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), completely knocked down (CKD) and semi-knockdown (SKD) kits designed for this assembly are critical.
They reduce import duties, improve affordability, and enable skills transfer.
This form of assembly is already established in countries like Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
These countries are positioned as early EV assembly hubs, and almost all of them achieved it with Chinese partners.
In partnership with local players, Chinese EV companies are not waiting for Africa’s EV market to mature.
They are engineering the conditions for its emergence, controlling vehicles, batteries, financing, and infrastructure simultaneously.
Chinese vehicles in Africa’s EV scene:
Dongfeng is partnering with Kenya’s ePureMotion to begin local EV assembly this year.
The partnership will see the two companies using Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) facilities to reduce costs and boost market competitiveness.
The aim is to support Kenya’s industrialization by lowering vehicle prices and improving access to spare parts.
But the move does more than that. It lays the groundwork for full-scale manufacturing in the years ahead. It also encourages technology transfer, allowing local workers to build expertise through hands-on experience and creating the conditions for homegrown electric vehicle production.
Ethiopia is partnering with Chinese vocational training experts to strengthen its workforce’s skills in electric mobility and support the country’s transition to electric vehicles.
The training programs providing hands-on expertise to Ethiopian technical institutions aim to equip local technicians and educators with the practical knowledge needed for EV maintenance, manufacturing, and repair. Beyond the technical and vocational training needed to fill existing skills gaps, developing a skilled EV workforce is critical for Ethiopia to not only import and assemble electric vehicles but also maintain, repair, and eventually manufacture them domestically.
Chinese EV firm plans new factory in Zimbabwe
The Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Jiangmen Tengxin Motorcycle Technology plans to build an electric vehicle factory in Zimbabwe, positioning the country as a production hub for Southern Africa.
The company, which exports motorcycles and components to more than 33 countries, aims to use the facility to meet rising regional demand for electric mobility.
Ethiopia is also rolling out charging networks outside Addis Ababa, with the latest in Dire Dawa, which is almost 500 kilometers from the capital.
For Zimbabwe’s low vehicle ownership rates, the move could unlock not only job opportunities but also create a thriving EV assembly-to-full-manufacturing ecosystem, adding value to the country’s lithium resources.
Chinese electric-vehicle makers are aggressively cutting prices in Thailand as they seek to win over budget-conscious buyers. The discounts have seen increased sales in the Asian nation.
Some African countries import second-hand vehicles from Thailand, and increased purchases mean more older vehicles could end up in these countries. ICE vehicles and second-hand EVs from Thailand could become a common sight on African roads.
Tariffs on Chinese electric cars had an unintended effect in Europe, where they pushed Chinese automakers toward plug-in hybrids and gasoline- and diesel-powered models.
The PHEVs and ICE vehicles, in turn, captured the market even faster.
African countries import a lot of second-hand vehicles from European countries, and if the trend continues, it is very likely that most of these Chinese PHEVs and ICE vehicles will end up in Africa.
China Is the Dominant External Force in Africa’s EV Market
As 2025 comes to a close, Chinese companies still account for the largest share of electric vehicles, components, and technology entering Africa, far outpacing European, American, or Japanese competitors. This dominance spans passenger EVs, electric buses, electric two- and three-wheelers, and battery supply chains.
China’s advantage comes from scale, cost leadership, and vertically integrated supply chains.
China is now the dominant force in Africa’s e-mobility transition. Its success partially comes from pairing low costs with strong control over batteries, financing, and local assembly, especially of two- and three-wheelers, buses, and entry-level passenger vehicles.
This means that those interested in breaking into the e-mobility sector would have to match Chinese offers dollar-for-dollar on a continent where price sensitivity determines success.
African stakeholders are pushing to build local electric-vehicle industries using CKD and SKD assembly models to cut import costs, develop skills, and move beyond raw-material exports.
China has become the central external partner in this effort, embedding itself across the EV value chain – vehicles, batteries, training, financing, and infrastructure – while simultaneously shaping secondary import flows from Europe and Asia that will influence what Africans drive in the near term.
The takeaway: While local assembly shows that the “manufacturing” needle is moving, Chinese firms are setting the rules of Africa’s e-mobility transition—making affordability the decisive factor and leaving competitors with little choice but to match China’s scale and pricing or risk irrelevance. With the EV assembly, African players have their foot in the door-sort of-and it is this opportunity that will bear the solutions that could be authentically local. – Sunday Mail